Explain Kant’s categorical imperative.

Sarah, Olivia, Rosie, Amy and Pip

Categorical Vs Hypothetical

• The Categorical imperative is to act for the sake of duty only.

• Whereas the hypothetical imperative is acting in order to receive some kind of reward.

• Kant argues that the categorical imperative is the only good way to act.

• For example one should help an old lady across the road simply because it is a good thing to do, not because it will make you feel good.

• Even if a good act makes you feel good, this is not a reward it is a bonus according to Kant.

Duty & Good will

• Kant wanted to work out what is good in itself. • Good will is the only thing that Kant terms as

“Good without qualification”• “It is impossible to conceive anything at all in

the world which can be taken as good without qualification except a good will.”

• A good will is to “act for the sake of duty.” • Duty is not about serving ones own interests, it

is not judged on consequences.

Summum Bonum

• The Summum Bonum is the highest good that everyone (according to Kant) should strive towards.

• It is a conjunction between happiness and virtue. It is a reward for doing duty for duty’s sake.

• The SB is not something to be found on earth; it takes place in the afterlife. We see bad people living happy lives and good people living unhappy lives.

Postulates of practical reason.

• These are things that kant decided were necessary for his theory to work. There are three postulates of practical reason:

• We must be free in order to make decisions.• There must be an afterlife in which we can

reach the SB• God must exist so that there is a fair judge to

bring us to the afterlife.

Maxims & Universalisability

• A maxim is an absolute moral statement; Kant stated that these had to be universalisable. For example do not murder.

• Universalisability is the ability to use a maxim everywhere, and by everyone so that the maxim is never broken.

• For example, for Kant the Decalogue is a set of maxims which should be universal.

Four Examples

• Kant gave four examples of how self love cannot be universalised:

• The first is a man who wants to commit suicide but questions if this goes against a duty to himself.

• A man borrows money knowing he cannot pay it back despite promising to do so.

• A talented man decides to ignore his talent and does nothing to further himself, he also questions whether this is duty to himself.

• One man is happy and flourishing in his life but doesn’t care about anyone else; he will not give other people help.

Explaining the examples.

• The first example cannot be universal because one is always trying to improve one’s life while killing yourself does the opposite.

• If everyone did this it would make the ideal of promises worthless.

• If no one used their talents there would be no doctors, detectives, scientists etc, society would fail.

• There will come a point when he needs help, if everyone has the same attitude as him, no one would receive help.